stinger

noun

sting·​er ˈstiŋ-ər 

plural stingers

1

: one that stings

specifically : a sharp blow or remark

2

: a sharp organ (as of a bee, scorpion, or stingray) that is usually connected with a poison gland or otherwise adapted to wound by piercing and injecting a poison

3

: a cocktail usually consisting of brandy and white crème de menthe

4

medical : a usually sports-related injury of the brachial plexus marked by a painful burning sensation that radiates from the neck down the arm and is often accompanied by weakness or numbness of the affected area

Arrington had missed the second quarter with a concussion and a stinger that left him, momentarily, without feeling in his left arm.

—Peter King

called also burner

5

: a short scene that appears during or after the closing credits of a movie or TV program

And don't walk out of said theater too fast either; the credits offer two stingers, one points the way toward a new comic franchise, another includes an escaped space monster.

—D. J. Palladino

Synonyms

• bang
• bash
• bat
• beat
• belt
• biff
• blow
• bop
• box
• buffet
• bust
• chop
• clap
• clip
• clout
• crack
• cuff
• dab
• douse [British]
• fillip
• hack
• haymaker
• hit
• hook
• knock
• larrup [dialect]
• lash
• lick
• pelt
• pick
• plump
• poke
• pound
• punch
• rap
• slam
• slap
• slug
• smack
• smash
• sock
• spank
• stripe
• stroke
• swat
• swipe
• switch
• thud
• thump
• thwack
• wallop
• welt
• whack
• wham
• whop
• whap

Examples of stinger in a Sentence

the stinger of a bee

in the eighth round he delivered a stinger that knocked his opponent flat

Recent Examples on the Web

He was diagnosed with a concussion and a neck stinger in late 2018, then received a second official concussion diagnosis in January 2021. —Ben Standig, The Athletic, 4 Dec. 2024

Rakeem Nunez-Roches experienced a stinger in the second half, while D.J. Davidson was limited to just 10 snaps due to a shoulder injury. —Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 2 Dec. 2024

The post-credits scene goes a long way towards explaining the slightly cryptic mid-credits stinger. —Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 26 Oct. 2024

Once Sheila is rescued, Chimney uses duct tape to pull all the stingers out of her, which helps stabilize Tori’s due-for-a-raise assistant. —Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 26 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1552, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

stinger

noun

sting·​er ˈstiŋ-ər 

1

: one that stings

especially : a piercing blow or remark

2

: a sharp organ of some animals (as bees or scorpions) that is used to wound, paralyze, or kill prey or an enemy by piercing and injecting a poisonous fluid

Medical Definition

stinger

noun

sting·​er ˈstiŋ-ər 

1

: a sharp organ (as of a wasp, bee, scorpion, or stingray) that is usually connected with a poison gland or otherwise adapted to wound by piercing and injecting a poison

2

: a usually sports-related injury of the brachial plexus marked by a painful burning sensation that radiates from the neck down the arm and is often accompanied by weakness or numbness of the affected area

called also burner